Process of fermenting organic nitrogenous substances.



man nrrnon'r, or nnussnns, BELGIUM.

PROCESS OF FERMENTING ORGANIC NITROGENOUS No Drawing.

To all when it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEAN Errnon'r, professor, a subject of the Russian Emperor, residing at Brussels, Belgium, have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes of Fermentation to Obtain Ammonia and Volatile Fatty Acids from Organic N itrogenous Substances; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My present invention has for its object to provide a new process of fermentation to obtain ammonia and volatile fatty acids from organic nitrogenous substances. and it 1s based on the fact that solutions of amido acids can be brought into fermentation, under certain circumstances, b means of yeast, bakers yeast or molds. urin this fermentation, the whole of the ami o acids is decom osedinto'ammonia and fatty acids, aecordmg to the following equation:

V Ammonia Acetic acid (2) Oo HOH-NH CH CO H H O As aramic acid H CH CH,CO,H CO O.

Ammonia Propionic acid The conditions preferred for obtaining a good fermentation without formation of volatile amins and decomposition of fatty ammonia per liter.

(4) The fermenting liquid should preferably contain 0.3 to 1 gram of sulfate of aluminium per liter or .eguivalent uantities of any other aluminium compounhsa This fermentative power of and mold is due to the :fact'that these erials always contain germs of butyricierments, which when'developingthemselveaprodnce Specification of letters latent. Patented Mar. Applieat'ion'flled May 14, 1908. Serial No. 432,823.

manufactories and foul waters from wool a special diastase, viz., the amidase, which decomposes peptids and amido acids into ammonia and fatty acids, in alkaline liquids.

These germs are not destroyed at a temperature of, 90 to 100 C. and this 'pro erty may be utilized for the preparation lo aculture of these bacteria. This culture is prepared by bringing mold into washes of molasses which have been previously sterilized and made alkaline and'maintaining the temperature at 90 C. for half an'hour. When al lowed to stand at 40 C. for 24 hours, it will enter into strong fermentation with formation of hydrogen. Washes of molasses, corn and beets (residues from alcohol distilleries), as well as waste products from sugar scourin operations, are especially suitable as a on tivatingmedium for bacteria capable of decomposin amido acids, because these washes, pro nets or waters contain large quantities of a'mido acids and polypep- Y tids. By this fermentation I obtain a very good utilization of the nitrogen compounds, the nitrogen thereof being directly converted into ammonia and a considerable quantity of fatty acids (acetic, propionic and butyric acids) being obtained at the same time. Ammonia an from the liquid without great expense.

The process is particularly suitable for the treatment of washes of molasses, beets and corn, as well as for the treatment of washes from the manufacture of bakers yeast, foul waters from wool scouring o rations and turf containing large quantltles. of nitrogen. .The washes of 'molasses,-for

instance, when discharged from the distilling apparatus have a specific gravity of 1.050 to 1.060 and contain per liter 70 to 90 grams of nitrogenous substances and 2 to 3 grams of sugar, which composition is par ticularly suitable for the ammoniacal fer mentation. In special cases viz. when the specific gravity of the washes isless than 1.050, it is advisable to evaporate them to the above mentioned .point before submitting them to the ammoniacal treatment.

Let us an pose the treatment of washes of molasses of 1.050 'to 1.060 specific gravity and containin per liter 70 to 90 grams of. nitrogenous su stances and 2 to 5 grams of su ar. In this case, the process is efer ab y carried to practice as follows: take i acids y be removed I min from the distilling apparatus, cool them to any other alkali.

' phate.

about 40 C. (38 to 43 (1.), neutralize them and bring their alkalinity to a point corresponding at least to 4 grams (4 to 8 grams) of K CO 'per liter, by means of potash or Then I add to these 10 hectoliters 600 to 1,000 grams of sulfate of aluminium, 200 to 500 grams of calcium superphosphate and 100 kgrs. of pressed yeast or the same quantity of mold and I maintain the temperature at 40 C. After 4, to 6 hours, gas is generated, which indicates that the fermentation has started. 48 hours after vthis moment, I add to these 10 hectoliters in fermentation 30 to 50 hectoliters of fresh washes,cooled to 40 0., rendered alkaline, and containing the same proportions of sulfate of aluminium vand calcium superphosphate, and I leave it again to ferment during 48 hours. The.quantity of fermenting liquid may thus be augmented by successive additions to each volume .of mash which has fermented during 48 hours, of 3 to 5 volumes of fresh washes cooled to 40 C., rendered alkaline, and containing the same proportions (above stated) 'of sulfate of aluminium and calcium superphos- The alkalinity of the portions of washes successively added must correspond at least to 4 grams of K CO per liter and should it be lessened during. the fermentation, a fresh addition of alkali should be made in order to bring the alkalinity back to the initial point. During the entire period, during which the bub is being prepared, air is blown through the mash under sufficient pressure to maintain the liquid in agitation.

This air is at atmospheric temperature. The bacteria culture prepared in this way, works in the ammoniacal fer mentation like the bub in the manufacture of alcohol. 5 to 10 hectoliters of this culture or bub are added as seed to each principal mash, say 100 hectoliters of washes of m olasses. The portion of. the washes of molasses which may be considered-as the princlpal mash is preferably less alkaline than the culture serving as hub; in

practice, an alkalinitycorresponding to 2.5 to 5 grams of K 00 per liter has produced goodresults; 30 to 50 grams of sulfate of aluminium are preferably added per hectollter, but superphosphate is as a rule not necessary for washes of molasses. Air is preferably blown through the liquid, only during the filling of the vats, which takes generally 6 to 7 hours. At the beginning of the strong fermentation, the ventilation should be stopped on account of the escape of ammonia.

The time of fermentation varies according to the quality of the molasses; in most cases,

the fermentation is completed after 2 or- 3 days. In order to ascertain this, a small quantity of the fermented liquid to which oxid of ma nesium is added, maybe distilled; if this distillation gives 90% of the total quantity of nitrogen in the state of ammonia, the fermentation may be considered as being completed.

If the method is carried out accordingsto the conditions stated above, the distilled material will contain pure ammonia and no volatile compounds of amins.

- "In many cases, it will be advisable to heat the mixture of washes and yeast or mold serving to prepare the above mentioned bub, for half an hour to 90 0., in order to de-' stroy the prejudicial ferments.

During the first period of the work, that added to the washes of molasses in order to prepare the bub, the mixture of washes and yeast or mold is preferabl' heated for half an hour to 90 0., then coo ed to 40 to 43v C. and allowed to ferment. augmentation of the hub 'begins a little later than usually: at least 24 hours after the heating, a strong fermentation has been detected. It is not necessary to heat to 90 C. the washes of molassa used for this augmentation. may be kept for a relatively long time, and the same may be used during 8 days for putting mashes into fermentation. The culture may be augmented every 48 hours and continued. v

The fermentation vats may also be put into fermentation by pouring one quarter of the contents of one vat into another and then fillingthe two vats with liquid. Notwithstanding I preferably prepare a new culture every 15 days in order to avoid degeneration and infection.

The washes of molasses of 1.060 to 1.070 specific gravity produce an'average quantity to 7.5 grams of ammonia per liter. 4

After the ammoniacal fermentation, the ammonia contained in the liquid may generally be removed by distillation without addition of alkali; .only in a few cases, an ad- In this case, the

The finished bacteria culture dition of 2to'3 grams of alkali per liter will prove necessary. After the removal cf ammonia, the washes may be treated 1n the usual' way for the extraction of salts,

-- acids @nained in the liquid, and is then corn, I proceed in the same way as for molasses. N

This improved process may also be used for recovering ammonia from sewage or foul waters from wool scouring-operations. The manner of working lS SlIllllilI 1n all cases except that Ipreferablyuse lime instead of potash for neutralizin Turf is "treated as ol1ows:'It is mixed with 5 to? volumes ofwater and brou ht into a pasty state. Then I add 2 to 3 k1lo grams of sulfuric acid of 60 Baum or the equivalent of any other mineral acid per 1 00 kilograms of turf, and the mixture is boiled under a ressu're-of 2 to '3 atm. for to 1 hour. T e paste is then rendered alkaline with lime and put into fermentation with a culture, preferably cultivated-in washes-of molasses or. corn. The ammoniacal fermentation may also be effected in-washes' of 1.070 specificgrav- 1ty. In certain cases, it will even be advisable to concentrate the liquid to be submitted to-the ammoniacal distillation, but in these cases the bacteria culture. must also be acclimatized to liquids with a larger percentage ofammonia; this may be obtained very easily increasing the concentration of the liquid gradually, starting, from washes with a specific gravity of 1.028. After 14 to 15. cultures, a tolerance for this high density may be easily obtained if the density be increased systematically for each culture. During this acclimatization, I

found that the fermentsmay easily be accustomed to antiseptic substances, such as formaldehyde, xylol,'toluo1, hydrofluoric acid salts, so that they-finally may effect the fermentation of liquids containing per liter '5 grams of one 'of these substances. This acchmatizatlon may be useful in certain cases for-avoiding secondary fermentations;

. 1. .The process of fermenting organic ni-.

vtrogenous substances containing albumens,

am1doacids, peptids and the like, which consists in rendering the material, alkaline,

" bringing it'to" a temperature of about 40 3 but'yric ferments, and separating the result 0., fermenting the material. by organized 3 ing-ammonia.

l 2. \The process-of fermenting organic nitrogenous substances, such: as washes of mo a temperature of about 40 0., causing the fermentation of said materials by organized butyric ferments, blowing air through the fermenting materials, distllling the fer- 'Inented materials to' separate the ammonia,

evaporatin the remaining materials, adding minera acid to the same and distilling the mixture to separate the volatile fatty acids, substantially as set forth. 3. The process of fermenting organic nitrogenous substances, such as washes of molasses, turf extract, distillers and yeast washes, foul waters from, wool scouring operations, or wastes from the manufacture of sugar, which consists in rendering alkaline a suspension of these substances to the point corresponding to at least 4 grams of K 00,

per liter, bringing the alkaline materials to a temperature of about 40 0., causing the fermentation of said materials by organrzed butyric ferments,'agitating the fermenting materials, and separating the resulting ammonia. 4. The process of fermenting orgamc mtrogenous substances, such as washes of molasse s, turf extract, distillers and yeastwashes, foul waters from wool scouring operations, or wastes from the manufacture of sugar, which consists in rendering alkal ne a suspension ofthese substances to the o1nt corresponding to at least 4 grams of 00 per liter, bringing the alkaline materials to a temperature of' about 40 0., adding molds containing organized butyric ferments to the alkaline materials to introduce therewith the desired bacteria and thereby obtain the fermentation thereof, blowing air through the fermentin materials, distilling the fermented materia s to separate the ammonia, evaporating the remaining materials, adding mineral and to the same and distilling the mixture to separate the volatile fatty acids, substantially as set forth.

5. The process of fermenting organic nitrogenous substances,'such as' washes of molasses,- turf extract, distillers and yeast washes, foul waters from wool scouring op' erations, or wastes from the manufacture of sugar, which consists in; rendering alkaline -a suspension of these Substances to the point correspondingto at least 4 rams of K 00, per liter, bringing the alk ine materials to a temperature of about 40 0., causing 'the fermentation of said materials by orgamzed. butyric ferments, adding alumimum compounds to the fermenting materials to accelerate the fermentation 'thereof, bl owin g air through the latter, distilling the fername to this specification in the presenee of mented materials to separate the ammonia, two subscribing witnesses. evaporating the remaining materials, addmg mineral acid to the same and distilling JEAN EFFRONT' the mixture to separate the volatile fatty Witnesses: acids, substantially as set forth. CHARLES HORROLD,

In testimony whereof, I have signed my GREGORY PHELAN. 

